Introduction to the Project and Its Relevance
At the forum México en Perspectiva: Edición Horizonte Económico, held this Saturday at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Santa Fe campus, university students presented a proposal for young leaders to support small businesses in the informal sector as “trusted advisors.”
Project Details and Key Figures
Imanol San Sebastián, president of the student group LEAD (Leadership in Entrepreneurship and Academic Development) at Tec de Monterrey, outlined the project. It involves multidisciplinary teams of students (with backgrounds in engineering, finance, business, and entrepreneurship) providing guidance to small informal businesses to help them transition towards formality.
San Sebastián highlighted the main challenge as “lack of trust” and that these small businesses often fail to recognize the benefits of formalization. Despite this, LEAD has already started working with some informal businesses interested in receiving guidance.
Additionally, a pilot program is planned in collaboration with the Álvaro Obregón borough, set to begin in August and conclude in December. The program will focus on designing proposals addressing local issues.
Forum Participants and Collaborations
The forum gathered representatives from academia, the public sector, and the business world, including Carlos Chávez de Icaza (Coparmex CDMX), Ricardo Santana (SEDECO CDMX), Javier López Casarín (Alcalde of Álvaro Obregón), and Dr. Benito Mirón (Director of the Monterrey campus).
Project Objectives and Potential Collaborations
“This forum allows us to demonstrate that young people have viable proposals,” said San Sebastián. “Our goal is to create connections between academia, the public sector, and citizens to generate real solutions.”
The LEAD group and the Social Service Center at Tecnológico de Monterrey are leading this effort, with potential collaborations from COPARMEX and the Sociedad de Alumnos de Economía (SALEC) from technical and strategic perspectives.
Notable speakers at the event included influencer Gerardo Vera, Marco Galicia, and the president of the young entrepreneurs’ commission at COPARMEX CDMX.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main goal of this project? The primary objective is to help small businesses in Mexico City transition from the informal sector to formalization, providing them with multidisciplinary student support.
- Who is leading this project? The initiative is being led by the student group LEAD at Tecnológico de Monterrey, with potential collaborations from COPARMEX and the Sociedad de Alumnos de Economía (SALEC).
- What challenges do informal businesses face in formalizing? The main challenge is the lack of trust, as many small businesses fail to recognize the benefits of formalization.
- What is the pilot program with Álvaro Obregón borough about? This program, starting in August and ending in December, aims to design proposals addressing local issues in collaboration with the borough.
- What is the significance of this forum? The forum showcases young people’s viable proposals and emphasizes the importance of connecting academia, public sector, and citizens to create real solutions.
